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Take Your Vitamin D at This Time

Take Your Vitamin D at This Time (1:23)

Vitamin D is a smart dietary supplement to help prevent heart disease and osteoporosis, and boost immunity. In this Health Smarts video, Vonda Wright, MD, reveals the best time of day to take this smart supplement to prevent a vitamin d deficiency.

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Hi, I'm Dr. Wright. You've probably heard that Vitamin D is good for you. Some of its amazing health benefits including lowering blood pressure, stronger bones, better immunity, and possibly a lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Now researchers suggest that Vitamin D performs best if you take it with your biggest meal of the day, it doesn't matter if that's breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

When researchers examined D deficient middle age in older adults, they found that pairing Vitamin D supplements with the participants' largest meal of the daydoubled their blood levels. This increase was consistent, regardless of the type or form of Vitamin D supplement taken. Unfortunately, about 75% of people are deficient in Vitamin D. One easy way to get your dose of Vitamin D is to spend some time outside each day.

Just 10-20 minutes of sun during peak hours can give you a boost of Vitamin D, but for most people, a supplement is a good backup plan. I recommend 1,000 international units of Vitamin D3 a day, 1,200 if you are over 60. For more ways to nourish your good health, watch all our smart tips, right here.